The utilities generally have two boards, one which is 100 per cent owned by the municipalities it serves and includes the cities’ mayors. That board owns 100 per cent of the distribution company, which has its own board.

The report recommends those boards be fully independent.

Locally, board directors were paid between $339,040 and $353,640 combined in 2012.

That’s the minimum and maximum that could be paid out between the three, based on the varying number of meetings held each year.

“I think it’s terrible,” Waterloo resident Alf Ash said. “I, as a taxpayer and hydro customer, really object to what they’re paying them. I think they should all be combined.”

The issue came to light when city residents cried foul about transparency because they couldn’t find directors’ names online. Kitchener’s directors were identified online at the time, Cambridge has committed to do so and Waterloo posted after citizen requests.

The issue snowballed when residents learned the stipends paid to board members weren’t reported publicly either.

“The benefit that we get far outweighs the compensation,” Miles said.

Cambridge North Dumfries Hydro passed a motion at its board to release the information. Waterloo North Hydro said that was the plan, then provided the information in advance and Kitchener-Wilmot provided the information upon request.

“I think it’s in the interest of transparency,” Miles said.

Kitchener spends the least on stipends — $91,240. Waterloo spends up to $131,400, depending on the number of meetings. Cambridge spends up to $131,000 for the same reason.

Residents are not permitted to attend meetings of the boards, according to officials.

“Board meetings aren’t public,” said Rene Gatien, president and chief executive officer at Waterloo North Hydro. “If you wanted to ask any utility in the province you would be told, no, you couldn’t.”

Based on the estimated number of customers each utility has, the cost to each customer for board stipends in 2012 would be about $1.13 in Kitchener, up to $2.68 in Waterloo and up to $2.62 in Cambridge.

The review panel said new regional utilities should have at least 400,000 customers.

Energy Minister Chris Bentley released a statement saying he would review the recommendations but made no commitment to action.